Nov 17, 2008

The Food and Chemical News provides a review of the report issued by scientists at the Autonomous University of Mexico (UNAM) that concludes that gene-modified (GM) corn has been discovered cross-pollinating with local corn crops in traditional "landraces" in Mexico.

Conclusions from UNAM's report are similar to those published by Drs. Ignacio Chapala and David Quist in 2001 in their controversial Nature article in 2001. After reviewing the methodologies used in the 2001 article, Nature retracted the publication. Both reports are being used by groups opposed the growing of GM corn in Mexico.

The lead scientist on the UNAM report, Elena Alvarez-Buylla has confirmed to the media that genes from GM maize were found in three of the 23 locations that were sampled in 2001, and again in two of those locations using samples taken in 2004.